Application Builder

Starting with release 7.0.7.0, web applications created with Premium or Unlimited edition include a preview of the second generation data sheet view. The new implementation supports horizontal and vertical scrolling, column resizing, and freezing. In addition, applications based on Microsoft SQL Server or Oracle also support hierarchical presentation of data.

The preview does not yet support all capabilities available in the original data sheet. The missing features will be released as soon as they become production-ready. Therefore, the second generation data sheet is disabled by default. If you would like to take it for a spin, make sure to regenerate your web app and follow the instructions below.

Start the web application generator. Create a sample Northwind web app. When generation is complete, click on the project name in the start page of the generator. Then, click Develop to open the project in Visual Studio.

In the Solution Explorer, right-click on ~\App_Code folder, and press Add | Add New Item…

Select Class from the list, and assign a name. Press Add to create the file.

Replace the existing code base with the following:

C#:

namespace MyCompany.Data
{
    public partial class ControllerUtilities
    {
        public override bool SupportsScrollingInDataSheet
        {
            get { return true; }
        }
    }
}

Visual Basic:

Namespace MyCompany.Data
    Partial Public Class ControllerUtilities
        Public Overrides ReadOnly Property SupportsScrollingInDataSheet As Boolean
            Get
                Return True
            End Get
        End Property
    End Class
End Namespace

Save the file and run the web app. Navigate to the Customers page. On the action bar, press Action | Show in Data Sheet.

The grid view will render the second generation data sheet.

The second generation data sheet will be enabled by default when the feature set of the previous implementation is replicated.

To use the original data sheet view implementation, make sure that the SupportsScrollingInDataSheet property of class ControllerUtilities returns false.

Some projects require that a location must be recorded when a new order is made or whenever a record is modified. Code On Time client library will automatically request the latitude and longitude from the browset with the use of tags on the data field level.

For example, let’s consider the Northwind sample database. When a new order is created, we would like to save the location. Let’s add two pairs columns to the Orders database table, refresh the Orders controller, and tag these fields as coordinates.

Adding Latitude and Longitude to Orders Table

Start SQL Server Management Studio. In the Object Explorer, right-click on Databases / Northwind / Tables / dbo.Orders node, and press Design.

Add four more columns with the following values:

Save the design to add the columns to the table.

Refreshing Orders Controller

Start the web app generator. Click on the project name, and press Refresh. Check the box next to Orders controller, and click Refresh.

Tagging the Data Fields

Press Design to activate the Project Designer. In the Project Explorer,  switch to the Controllers tab. Double-click on Orders / Views / editForm1 / c1- Orders / CreatedLatitude (String(50)) data field node.

Add a tag to the data field:

Press OK to save. Double-click on Orders / Views / editForm1 / c1- Orders / CreatedLongitude (String(50)) data field node.

Add the following tag:

Save the data field. Double-click on Orders / Views / editForm1 / c1- Orders / CreatedLongitude (String(50)) data field node.

Use this tag:

Save the item. Double-click on Orders / Views / editForm1 / c1- Orders / ModifiedLongitude (String(50)) data field node.

Use this tag:

Save the data field.

Now, repeat the steps above to assign the correct tags to the relevant data fields in createForm1 view.

It is also possible to store latitude and longitude in the same field in the form “[latitude],[longitude]” by using the tags “created-coords” and “modified-coords.”

Viewing the Results

On the toolbar, press Browse. Navigate to the Orders page. Create a new record. A request for permission will be triggered – every browser will display it differently.

Allow the website location request for the session or site. Press Cancel and open the create form again. Both sets of coordinates will be updated. Note that the data fields are read-only.

Save the record and edit the record again. Note that only Modified Latitude and Longitude values are changed.